Rack For Horizontal Storage

ABSTRACT

A rack for horizontal storage of long items includes a vertical support, a plurality of support clamps attached to the vertical support, and plurality of support bars spaced apart from the vertical support and generally parallel to the vertical support. Vertical support may include a single or double vertical bar for attachment of the plurality of support clamps. Vertical support may include a secondary vertical support for attachment of the plurality of support bars. Vertical support may include a freestanding base or may be fixable to floor and ceiling with a floor base and a ceiling plate. The rack may be fixable to a wall with a wall plate. Each support clamp may include a cradle and a lock bar, and each cradle is adjustable or fixed with respect to the vertical support. Each lock bar is adjustable with respect to a corresponding cradle and defines an adjustable aperture.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a rack for generally horizontalstorage of elongated items. More particularly; but not by way oflimitation, the present invention relates to a rack for horizontalstorage of fishing rods.

2. Background

Fishing rod racks are well known in the art. Generally speaking, fishingrod racks potentially solve two problems: (a) they remove the rod fromhazardous places, such as leaning against a wall, where they are likelyto fall and become damaged; and (b) they allow several rods to be storedimmediately adjacent one another without entanglement.

As is known, fishing rod racks come in two varieties: those that holdrods vertically; and those that hold rods at both ends, that is, both atthe handle and at the fragile tip. Rods are held in such holders in alimited manner as well. One-size-fits-all holes are commonly used forthe vertical storage arrangements, wherein the rod's handle is insertedinto the hole. Of course, the holes in the supporting material, whethermetal or plastic, are not generally gentle on the rods, and cannot beused reliably to hold a rod's tip. A further problem frequentlyencountered is that many fishing rods are longer or taller than theavailable ceiling dimensions.

Another variety of fishing rod rack uses soft foam to hold the rods.However, soft foam is so soft and compliant, so that additional foammust be used to support both the handle and rod tip as well. As opposedto the one-size-fits-all arrangements, the foam rod holders requireholding elements at both ends of the rods. This is a big problem whererods are of significantly different lengths. Typical rods lengths arebetween five feet (152.4 cm) and nine feet (274.3 cm), but many rods areavailable beyond these dimensions.

Yet another limitation of many prior art rod racks is the complexity ofmanufacturing the device. Ideally, a rod rack should be relativelysimple to manufacture and should employee a minimal number of fastenerswhich may inadvertently loosen during use or which may be accidentallylost.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fishing rodrack which overcomes the problems and alleviates the needs discussedabove.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a fishing rod, or elongated object, rackwhich is easy to manufacture, adaptable to virtually any fishing rod,and provides stations for a plurality of fishing rods in a compactspace, and which will prevent damage to the rods while allowing quickand easy removal of the rod.

In a first aspect of the invention, a rack for horizontal storage oflong items includes a vertical support; a plurality of support clampsattached to the vertical support; and plurality of support bars spacedapart from the vertical support and generally parallel to the verticalsupport.

According to another embodiment, the vertical support includes a singlevertical bar for attachment of the plurality of support clamps. Thisarrangement provides the advantage of a simplified constructionarrangement which is entirely capable of securely holding a large numberof fishing rods or elongated items.

According to a further embodiment, the vertical support includes doublevertical bars for attachment of the plurality of support clamps in twoarrays. This arrangement provides an advantage in that two separatearrays, which may be generally planar arrays, may be supported by thedevice simultaneously. Such an arrangement may be very useful in thecorner of a room, wherein one array could be placed along and generallyparallel to each wall.

According to another embodiment, the vertical support includes asecondary vertical support for attachment of the plurality of supportbars. This arrangement provides more open space adjacent the verticalsupport.

According to a further embodiment, the vertical support includes afreestanding base. Such an arrangement permits the rack to be placedvirtually anywhere, as a sufficiently large base will be able to resistthe moment from the rods, even if all the rods are arrayed in the samedirection.

According to another embodiment, the vertical support is fixable to afloor and ceiling with a floor base and a ceiling plate. Such anarrangement may be based on a friction or tension fit between the rackand the floor/ceiling, or the rack may be fixed to the floor and/orceiling with screws or other fasteners.

According to another embodiment, the vertical support is fixable to awall with a wall plate. According to such an arrangement, the rack maybe fixed to a wall with screws or other fasteners.

According to a further embodiment, each support clamp includes a cradleand a lock bar. This arrangement provides the advantage of beingadjustable to accept virtually any diameter handle that may be found ona fishing rod.

According to another embodiment, each cradle may be adjustable or fixedwith respect to the vertical support. That is, adjustable cradles may beadjusted vertically on the vertical support. This arrangement providesthe advantage in that adjustable cradles permit rod spacing to vary,depending on the size of the attached reel, or other considerations.Fixed cradles permit easy of manufacture, and keeps costs lower.

According to a further embodiment, each lock bar is adjustable withrespect to a corresponding cradle and, with the corresponding cradle,defines an adjustable aperture. This arrangement provides an advantagein that rod handles may be easily locked and released, and that verysmall and very large diameter rods handles may be stored securely in therack.

According to another embodiment, the lock bars are held in place withrespect to its cradle by a friction fit on the vertical support. Thefriction tit may be due to tight manufacturing tolerances, such asbetween the diameter of the vertical support and an aperture in the lockbar through which the vertical support extends. Alternatively, the lockbar's aperture might include a rubber o-ring or bushing to inhibitmovement of the lock bar.

According to a further embodiment, the lock bars are held in place withrespect to its cradle by a tilt-lock arrangement on the verticalsupport. A tilt-lock arrangement may be made by a lock bar aperturehaving minimal or no rounding at the edges. Tilting of the lock bar,even a little tilting, causes the relatively sharp edge of the apertureto bite into the vertical support, thus preventing movement of the lockbar and the fishing rod.

According to another embodiment, the lock bars are held in place withrespect to its cradle by an interrupted thread arrangement on thevertical support and in the aperture of the lock bar. This arrangementpermits very strong and secure lock bar positioning that cannot be moveduntil the lock bar is rotated to disengage the interrupted thread.

According to another arrangement, each support bar is pivotably attachedat a proximal end to a secondary vertical support. The pivotablearrangement permits the support bar to be moved to a position to providesecond point of contact with the fishing rod, such as at the handle, toresist the rod's moment due to gravity, while accommodating differenttypes of reels or handles.

According to another embodiment, each support bar is pivotably attachedat a proximal end to the vertical support. This arrangement provides thesame advantages as the support bar pivotably attached to the secondaryvertical support, described above, but with the further, advantage of amore compact arrangement that eliminates the secondary vertical support.In his case, the support bars may be attached directly to the verticalsupport.

According to a further embodiment, each support bar includes a hook at adistal end. This arrangement more positively engages the rod handle toprevent shifting.

According to another embodiment, each support bar is height-adjustable.The adjustability provides the ability to accommodate vertical supportswhich are not quite vertical, or rods which droop under their own weightto an excessive degree, or due to their flexibility and lack ofstiffness fail to support their own weight adequately.

Further objects, features, and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent to those skilled in the art upon examining the accompanyingdrawings and upon reading the following description of the preferredembodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-2 illustrate a lower perspective view of the inventive rod rack,according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a lower perspective view of a pair of rods racks,according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a front view of a pair of rod racks for floor orceiling mounting connected by a crosspiece, according to an embodimentof the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates an elevated perspective view of a pair of rod racksfor wall mounting, and connected by a crosspiece, according to anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 illustrates a front view of a pair of rod racks for wallmounting, and connected by a crosspiece, according to an embodiment ofthe invention; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of a rack unit of a pair of rodracks connected by a crosspiece, according to an embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is important tounderstand that the invention is not limited in its application to thedetails of the construction illustrated and the steps described herein.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orcarried out in a variety of ways. It is to be understood that thephraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purpose ofdescription and not of limitation.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicatethe same parts throughout the several views, a preferred embodiment ofthe inventive fishing rod rack 10 is shown in FIG. 1. The rack 10 forhorizontal storage of long items, such as fishing rods, includes avertical support 12 and a plurality of support clamps 14 attached to thevertical support 12. A plurality of support bars 16 are provided spacedapart from the vertical support 12 a predetermined distance and arearranged generally parallel to the vertical support 12. The support bars16 may be movably mounted to a secondary vertical support 18, and thevertical support 12 may be fixed to the secondary vertical support 18 bya two or more transverse support elements 20. The length of thetransverse support elements 20 may be predetermined according to alength that is suited to the long items, e.g., fishing rods, to be heldin the rack 10.

FIG. 2 illustrates the functional movement of the support clamps 14 andthe support bars 16. Each of the support clamps 14 includes twoelements, a cradle 22 and a lock bar 24. The cradle 22 is fixed to thevertical support 12, and may include a ‘v’ shape in order to facilitatesecurely holding fishing rods or other long items. The lock bar 24 ismovably attached to the vertical support 12, and is able to be pivoted Pand adjusted vertically V on the vertical support 12, as illustrated.The interaction of the cradle 22 and the lock bar 24 creates anadjustable aperture A, which may be sized to accept acorrespondingly-sized fishing rod handle H. Similarly, the support bars16 are pivotable D on the secondary vertical support 18. In anotherembodiment, the support bars 16 are also able to be adjusted verticallyon the secondary vertical support 18, which may be helpful in adjustingthe exact angle in which the fishing rods or other long items are storedon the rack 10. The support bars 16 may include a hook 17 at a distalend, away from the secondary vertical support 18 to more securely retaina fishing rod R. In another embodiment, the cradles 22 may be adjustablyattached to the vertical support 12, such as by friction, mutualthreading, interrupted threading or other known arrangements.

FIG. 1 illustrates how a long item, such as a fishing rod may bemounted, held and stored horizontally on the rack 10. As shown, afishing rod R may be securely held by only one end, such as the handleend H. To mount a fishing rod in the rack 10, the user will rotate alock bar 24 so that it is not blocking the corresponding cradle 22. Therod handle H may then be placed across the cradle 22 and an availablesupport bar 16, and the lock bar 24 is pivoted into a position to trapthe handle H between the cradle 22 and the lock bar 24, thereby blockingmovement of the handle H. The rack 10 relies upon the weight of theunsupported ends of the fishing rods or other long items to hold them inplace, and allows the natural weight-carrying capability of the rods tobe utilized.

In particular, the vast majority of the fishing rod R is not locatedbetween the vertical support 12 and the secondary vertical support 18.To the contrary, most of the fishing rod R is beyond the secondaryvertical support 18 and is not directly supported, but instead issupported through the support of the handle H. The unsupported mass ofthe fishing rod R creates a moment about the support bar 16, whichcreates an upward force at the lock bar 24. The upward force at the lockbar 24 acts to hold the lock bar 24 in place on the vertical support 12.In one embodiment, the upward force on the lock bar 24 causes it to bindagainst the vertical support 12, in a tilt-lock arrangement. The lockbar 24 is pivotable about the vertical support 12, as described above,and the lock bar 24 and vertical support 12 may be manufactured to suchtolerances so as to encourage binding of the lock bar 24 and thevertical support 12 when the lock bar is not in a neutral position, suchas when it is forced upward by the counterweight influence of theunsupported end of the fishing rod R. Numerous alternatives areavailable to hold the lock bar 24 in place on the vertical support 12,including friction material, e.g., rubber bushes or o-rings, ormechanical arrangements, e.g., an interrupted thread between thevertical support 12 and the lock bar 24.

The Figures show a supplemental vertical support 13 which is parallel tothe vertical support 12. The supplemental vertical support 13 improvesthe rigidity of the rack 10, and further provides two attachment pointsfor the cradle 22. However, the supplemental vertical support 13 is notrequired for the proper function of the rack 10. The inclusion of thesupplemental vertical support 13 is completely optional. That is, thevertical support 12 alone may be relied upon to provide the necessaryfunctionality with regard to the cradle 22 and lock bar 24.

FIG. 3 illustrates a pair of racks 10 for horizontal storage, whereinthe vertical support 12 and the support bar 16 are fixed to afreestanding base 26. The freestanding base 26 permits the rack 10 to beplaced virtually anywhere without being a permanent fixture. Thefreestanding base 26 may be made a big as is necessary to providestability to the rack 10, even if fully loaded. In another embodiment,the vertical support 12 is fixable to floor and ceiling with a floorbase and a ceiling plate. FIG. 3 also illustrates a ceiling plate 28secured at the top of each rack 10. The ceiling plate 28 enables therack 10 to be in contact with the ceiling, which aids stability. Thisarrangement permits the freestanding base 26 to be made significantlysmaller because the load is distributed between the floor and ceiling.The ceiling plate 28 may be fixed to the ceiling, or it may be sized tosimply bear against the ceiling and thereby hold the rack immobile.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the rack 10 is fixable to a wallwith one or more wall plates 30, 31, 32. The wall plates 30, 31, 32 maybe attached to the rack 10 in a variety of different positions. FIG. 4illustrates a pair of racks 10 mounted together in a functional anddecorative layout and provides a few examples different positions formounting wall plates 30, 31. Each of the racks 10 is shown having a pairof wall plates 30 fixed to two transverse support elements 20. In thisposition, the racks 10 may be mounted directly to a flat wall. As afurther non-limiting arrangement, each of the racks 10 is shown having apair of wall plates 31 fixed to the vertical support 12. In thisposition, the racks 10 may be mounted directly to a flat wall, butnormal to the arrangement previously described. As another non-limitingarrangement, each of the racks 10 is shown having a pair of wall plates32 (see FIGS. 1-2) fixed to the secondary vertical support 18.Accordingly, it will be possible to mount the rack 10 in a corner, atthe intersection of two walls.

FIGS. 4-6 also illustrate how two racks 10 may be fixed together by acrosspiece 34 to form a single rack unit 40. Two racks 10 so attachedmay be more useful in many situations due to the mutual protectionafforded by the opposite rack 10. That is, the tips of the rods R fromone rack 10 will be protected near the handles H of the rods R from theopposing rack 10. In one embodiment, and towards this end, each of thesupport bars 16 and the corresponding support clamps 14 may be arrangedat a different vertical placement, as illustrated, wherein the rods Rwill alternate vertical placement, in a staggered arrangement.

The rack unit 40 may be attached to existing framing or shelves, or mayinclude its own shelves 36, which may be suitable for storing itemsassociated with the fishing rods R or other long items.

FIG. 7 illustrates an arrangement wherein each support bar 38 ispivotably attached at a proximal end to the directly to the verticalsupport 12. This arrangement eliminates the necessity for the secondaryvertical support 18, but may require the support bars 38 to be a bitlonger than the support bars 16 of the embodiments described above.

Removal of rods from the rack 10 is simply the reverse of the insertionprocess. The lock bar 24 over the rod's handle H is pivoted P so that itdoes not block the handle H between the lock bar 24 and the cradle 22.Depending on the weight of the rod, it may be helpful to press downslightly on handle to negate the moment caused by the unsupported (tip)end of the rod. Pressing down slightly will allow the lock bar 24 to bemoved more freely, without binding. The rod may then be lifted from thecradle 22 and support bar 16.

As will also be apparent to those skilled in the art, while thepreferred embodiments of the inventive rod rack have been described asproviding a certain number of rod stations, the invention is not solimited. The inventive device may be configured with any number of rodstations. However, it should be noted that, as more stations are added,care should be taken to ensure that the distance between individual rodsis sufficient.

What is claimed is:
 1. A rack for horizontal storage of long items,comprises: a vertical support; a plurality of support clamps attached tothe vertical support; and plurality of support bars spaced apart fromthe vertical support and generally parallel to the vertical support. 2.The rack for horizontal storage of claim 1, wherein the vertical supportincludes a single vertical bar for attachment of the plurality ofsupport clamps.
 3. The rack for horizontal storage of claim 1, whereinthe vertical support includes a double vertical bar for attachment ofthe plurality of support clamps in two arrays.
 4. The rack forhorizontal storage of claim 1, wherein the vertical support includes asecondary vertical support for attachment of the plurality of supportbars.
 5. The rack for horizontal storage of claim 1, wherein thevertical support includes a freestanding base.
 6. The rack forhorizontal storage of claim 1, wherein the vertical support is fixableto floor and ceiling with a floor base and a ceiling plate.
 7. The rackfor horizontal storage of claim 1, wherein the rack is fixable to a wallwith a wall plate.
 8. The rack for horizontal storage of claim 1,wherein each support clamp includes a cradle and a lock bar.
 9. The rackfor horizontal storage of claim 7, wherein each cradle is adjustable (orfixed) with respect to the vertical support.
 10. The rack for horizontalstorage of claim 7, wherein each lock bar is adjustable with respect toa corresponding cradle and defines an adjustable aperture.
 11. The rackfor horizontal storage of claim 8, wherein the lock bars are held inplace with respect to its cradle by a friction tit on the verticalsupport.
 12. The rack for horizontal storage of claim 8, wherein thelock bars are held in place with respect to its cradle by a tilt-lockarrangement on the vertical support.
 13. The rack for horizontal storageof claim 8, wherein the lock bars are held in place with respect to itscradle by an interrupted thread on the vertical support.
 14. The rackfor horizontal storage of claim 1, wherein each support bar is pivotablyattached at a proximal end to a secondary vertical support.
 15. The rackfor horizontal storage of claim 1, wherein each support bar is pivotablyattached at a proximal end to the vertical support.
 16. The rack forhorizontal storage of claim 1, wherein each support bar includes a hookat a distal end.
 17. The rack for horizontal storage of claim 1, whereineach support bar is height-adjustable.